


Tell me why (ain’t nothing but a mistake)

by orphan_account



Category: NCT (Band), Red Velvet (K-pop Band), SHINee, SMTown, f(x)
Genre: Artificial Intelligence AU, Gen, angsty angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-06
Updated: 2019-08-06
Packaged: 2020-08-10 05:13:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20129902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account





	1. Chapter 1

The blender whirred to life as Irene clicked her teeth and got to work. Her steadfast hands whisked the eggs into the frying pan with intimidating deftness, not forgetting to call out a reminder for Mr Onew to Hurry up sir, you might be late for work!, all with an easy smile on her face. Her words were answered not by Mr Onew, but instead by his only son, Taemin, who bounded into the kitchen cheerily like an excited beagle. Soon, Mrs Victoria (and eventually Mr Onew, who would indeed be late for work) joined the duo in the kitchen, prompting Irene to serve up her sunny-side-ups and fruit juice. She then retired to the living room for the family to enjoy their breakfast. After they had finished and left for school and work, she put the crockery into the dishwasher, then plugged herself into her charger.

All in a morning’s work for an Android Housekeeper.

The same cycle continued into the nighttime. Cook, clean, charge, rinse and repeat. Every day was just another mundane piece in Irene’s indefinite life with definite possibilities. Her system was telling her to serve and assist with all implemented skill sets, but sometimes she stops. And ponders.

~

It had been with great commotion during dinner that Taemin joyously announced his success in auditioning for a certain prestigious competition. Irene stood at her charging spot in the living room, not eavesdropping, merely registering Mrs Victoria (and Mr Onew in his coffee-fueled, exhausted self) celebrating this significant baby step in her son’s 4 years of learning the violin. Mr Onew visibly winced as Mrs Victoria gets progressively louder in singing her praises. At the very least, Irene supposed, Mrs Victoria would have something to brag about to her friends.

After dinner, Irene cleaned the kitchen with Taemin’s violin practising as background music. She thought that she would like to try the violin too.

~

It was D-Day. The final round of Taemin’s competition.

The family set off for the competition venue in a flurry of activity, with Mrs Victoria taking all of one hour to doll up both herself and her son while Irene was brought along amongst the fanfare. 

Upon arrival, the family trooped to the holding room. It was small and crammed with other jittery competitors busy practising their pieces, yet the cacophony of music made Irene’s head spin. She marvelled at the vast array of instruments, most of which she had never even heard of before, eyeing the piano and the cello and the flute with a sort of quiet reverence. How she wish she could—

“Irene, time to go.” And then Mrs Victoria snapped her out of her reverie, but as they left, she could almost still hear the conflicting, disjointed melodies calling out to her.

~ 

Taemin’s violin proved to be an unwelcome distraction.

Everyday after Irene’s morning routines, it tempted her with whispered promises of unseen beauty, of her little memories of music. But she knew it was not to be. She was an Android Housekeeper, not a human capable of emotion and feeling and love and desire. She understood this line, this line that was never to be crossed. She would not give in.

And yet, one day, she found herself thumbing its impossibly sleek shiny maple, roving her fingers over its metallic strings, gingerly stroking its beautiful neck. The bow was sitting right there, within reach. 

She picked it up, and she played.

And then she was flying, she was in love! She felt almost human, like an infant inhaling their first breath of oxygen, a child taking their first step! Though the melody from an Internet search was ostensibly ugly, it was freeing, and she was almost human. An adagio in E Minor picked up into a lively prestissimo. Staccato beats bounce along with every pluck. Music flowed through her fingers like water, but instead of seeping away, it echoed in her mind.

~

Irene’s daily routines now contained an additional few hours of violin, and she knew the family was none the wiser. She had been tuning out way more easily recently, contemplating her newfound interest, but she had still been doing all her chores right. The breakfast was still hearty. The house was still tidy. The violin still seemed untouched.

Right?

What she had not noticed was a figure watching her from next door.

~ 

Irene had passed by Mr Onew and Mrs Victoria’s bedroom one night. Upon hearing their conversation, her blood ran cold.

“You know, the robot has been playing our boy’s violin secretly during the day. And to hear it from the Allertons next door! What an embarrassment. We’ve got to do something about it.”

“Ah, the robot seems ambitious, hmm? I daresay we send it back to Neotech for a refund.”

“Better late than never, I suppose. Perhaps you could put in a suggestion for improvement too, seeing this incident as an AI gone rogue.”

Irene felt fear. Real, raw fear, coursing through her circuits and poisoning her consciousness, as reality slammed into her sensors. How could she be so gullible! How could she betray her masters! How could she misbehave and lie, so guiltless! How… could she ever hope to become human! Her head spun, and she gasped and panicked and they are going to take me away and kill me—

“Who’s there?”

—she compelled herself to take large steps, to run away and never come back! But she should not. She could not. She would not. She was loyal to her human masters. Her vision was fuzzy and she barely registered Mr Onew reaching for her power button. He pressed it.

Her mind slipped through her fingers like sand.

~

Dear Mr Onew Lee,

We have received your letter and product. Thank you for your input on our Android models. We have considered your suggestions and will make improvements accordingly. Below is your digital receipt.

Android Type: Android Housekeeper  
Model: IRENE 290391  
Date of purchase: 19/06/2019  
Date of refund: 01/08/2019  
Reason for refund: Malfunctioning Artificial Intelligence System  
Purchase total: $12 700  
Refund total: $1 270 

Thank you for your support of Neotech AI.


	2. Chapter 2

Mark shivers. The junkyard is dead silent other than his uneven breaths and hurried fumbling. He swipes off a spot of sweat on his brow and continues his search.

Soon, Mark lifts up an annoyingly heavy metal scrap, and, out of the blue, sees a pair of artificial legs. A morbid sense of curiosity and motivation surges through his veins as he hurriedly unearths whatever those legs belonged to.

Underneath the dirt and grime is an impossibly beautiful female Android engraved with Neotech’s company logo. She has a stiff posture, but her uncanny silicon skin makes her seem almost human. 

Delighted with his new finding, Mark lugs the Android to his car and drove off, intending to use the parts to create his own Frankenstein’s Monster. What he doesn’t notice is a twinkle of life in the Android’s eyes.


End file.
